A new retro game emulator has hit Apple's App Store: Gamma, a free app that can emulate PlayStation 1 games on iPhones and iPads.
Released over this past weekend, Gamma quickly became one of the top 10 apps in the Entertainment category. The app only supports emulating PS1 games, though users must find the ROM files independently. Fortunately, Gamma will automatically pull the artwork for any games you add to the app. Though the app does not require the BIOS files to run ROMs, you may need to add the BIO folder, depending on which files you use.
Gamma supports touchscreen controls, with a customizable on-screen controller skin allowing for some personal flair. Its app store listing notes that it supports Bluetooth controllers and keyboards. However, independent testing of multiple controllers and keyboards showed that Gamma on my iPhone would crash every time I paired a controller and launched a game in the app.
One caveat is that, as The Verge pointed out, Gamma's App Store page discloses that it collects data identifiers that may be used to track you. The app did not personally ask me to trigger my location, but it did ask me to track my activity on other companies' apps and websites.
Gamma is the latest retro game emulator to be added to the App Store and the third following Riley Testut's widely popular Nintendo emulators Delta and Bimmy. Shortly after release, the developer quickly removed the latter "out of fear" of legal action. Both these apps' native release on the App Store was made possible thanks to Apple's recently loosened policies, which allow retro game emulators on its digital storefront.
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
